Floor laying tool



Patented Oct. 6, 1953 UITED ST'E'ES OFFICE Application November 6, 1950, Serial No. 194,211 In Canada November 10, 1949,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a tool for laying wooden flooring of the conventional tongue-andgroove type.

The tool of my invention is designed to serve the dual purpose of driving the grooved side of a floor board tightly against the tongued side of an already-laid board and at the same time impart the final driving action to a nail being used to hold in place the driven board.

When flooring is being laid and a particular board does not easily fit into its desired position flush against the previously laid board, it is customary to lay a protective wooden block against the tongued side of the board, to hammer the block until the board is desirably positioned and then, drive nails through the tongued side of the board at an angle of 45 degrees and at a point along the upper line of inception of the tongue, usually followed by a nail-punching step. This is a somewhat laborious procedure and is unsatisfactory for the additional reason that the board being laid sometimes springs back from its driven position before the holding nails can be completely driven home, and the drawing power of the nails may be insuiiicient to properly reposition the board.

Certain proposals have been made for floor laying tools which simultaneously drive the nail home and the board inwards, and an example of such a proposal is to be found in Canadian Patent Number 175,962 which issued to A. N. Landgraf on March 27th, 1917. This proposal possesses the serious disadvantage that since the driving side of tool is supported only by upper portions of the board being laid and the device is designed to be K hammered upon an anvil head which extends at substantially 45 degrees from the driving side of the tool, the outer edge of the driven board tends to be driven down too far resulting in difficulties in mating the tongue of that board with groove of the next board which is to be laid.

I have overcome this disadvantage by the pro vision of a handled floor laying tool having a body portion which is of generally square vertical cross-section and of an elongated rectangular horizontal cross-section, said body portion having a horizontal groove formed in and extending along the complete length of one longitudinal side thereof, said body portion being of a height which is substantially equal to that of the flooring board it is designed to drive, said groove being complementary in shape to the tongue of said flooring board and disposed the same distance from the base of said body portion as said tongue is disposed from the base of said flooring board.

The nature of my invention will be more clearly understood after a study of the detailed specification which follows and the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a fioor laying tool in accordance with my invention. 7

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective View of another embodiment having a foot plate, a removable body portion, and a removable handle, and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the lower portions of the removable handle employed with the embodiment shown in Figure 2.

Reference numeral l0 generally indicates the body portion of a floor laying tool having a han dle H. Body portion 10 has a generally square vertical cross-section and an elongated rectangular horizontal cross-section. Handle It extends upwardly and laterally from the upper surface of rectangular body 10, and is secured thereto by welding or equivalent means as indicated at l2 in the drawing. A horizontal groove !3 is formed in, and extends along the complete length of one longitudinal side of body portion l0, and is disposed in the side of the body portion over which handle II extends. A second horizontal groove l4, similar to the groove [3, extends along one of the short sides of rectangular block Iii.

Flooring boards are sold in standardized sizes of overall cross-sectioned dimensions and size'and disposition of tongues and grooves. It is my intention that floor laying tools according to my invention be made available in sizes which corr spond to these standardized board sizes in the following particulars. The height of rectangular body portion it is to be substantially the height of the flooring boards it is designed to drive, and the grooves l3 and M are to be com,- plementary in shape to the tongue of said flooring boards and disposed the same distance from the base of the body portion as the tongues of said flooring boards are disposed from the bases thereof.

The floor laying tool of my invention is preferably constructed entirely of a metal such as steel.

Having described the physical characteristics of one embodiment of a floor laying tool according to my invention, I will now set out the best methods known to me for utilizing this embodiment. Body portion I I3 is held against the outer side of the board which is being laid, with groove l3 mating with the tongue of the board. The board is then driven towards the desired flush union with a previously laid board by hammering upon the non-grooved or outer side of the body portion ID. A flooring nail is then driven through the board in the conventional manner and at the conventional position i. e. at an angle of about 45 degrees and at a point along the upper line of inception of the tongue. When the nail has been driven nearly completely home in this conventional -manner, l the floor ilaying vtool .is ,reapplied' tothdboard; this timeioven an: area which includes the nearly-driven nail. The outer edge of the tool is then hammered again whereby the board is driven inward and nail is driven further inward and downward to hold the boardfiniits driven position. (It will beappreciatedthatjhe nearly-driven nail is necessarily driven since when the tool is applied as described .ithenhikheaid will rest against the flat portion which extends 'above the groove I3.) Since the board and, nail. are driven simultaneously there is no danger ofthe board springing back, and since the board is solidly supported by that portion of the-body Ill which extends below the tongue 'of the board, therecan be no danger -that *outer edge o'f the board will be driven downwardly too farja'n'd 'causedifficulty of-unionwith-the nextboard to "be laid.

While groove I4 is not an essential "element of the floor laying tool 'of *my "invention, 1 pref- "erably; provide such a groove since it somewhat extends the usefulness of the -device. When flooring is being laid close to a wall it maynot be possible to employ-the device shown '-in "Figure "2 in the fashion described above-due to the length of the handle II (which may be obstructed by 1 the wall) If such is the case; the "tool may be turned through 90 degrees "and groove 1 I 4 employed in the-same general manner as' described in connect-ion with-groove i I 3.

' Reference will-nowbe'madeto; the embodiment shown in' Figures 2 and 3,-whichdifiers-fromthe embodiment shown in Figure '1 mainly in "that it includes -a foot plateand that the bo'dygportion is detachable, and the handleiismemovable and hinged with respect to the body portion. Body portion I Ilain Figure 2- is;generallynsimi lar' to body': portion H] in Figure ;1 and isrprovi'd- '-ed with similar horizontal grooves 13 (along 'one'longitudinal side) and F4 (along oneiof the short sides) Two threaded holesyone of may 'be noted at I5 in Figure -2, *extend vertically downward from theupper surface :of body 'portion 19a. 'A -foot 'plate -I'6, :having "a Taised portion 5 I I "for the reception -of the handle, and a hammering surface I8, is provided with two ci-rcularholes 1 I 9 which-extend through the plate and are spaced apart the same distance as the threaded 5 holes $5 in body portion I (la. Threaded bolts 20, having split ring --washers 2|, 'may "be passed through'the'holes -I-9-and threadedly engaged in the holes -l5-to rigidly secure the 6 first outwardly through substantially 45"degrees,

and then inwardly through-substantially 135 ;de- 'grees, ''to form two axially aligned mounting studs 22. Axially aligned-cylindrical recesses :having diameters slightly :greater than the --'diameter .of 1 the :stu'ds 22 are: provided in opposed sides of raised portion IT. The bending of the rod to the elongated U-shape is such that the ends of the mounting studs 22 are spring urged to occupy a distance apart from one another 5 which is approximately equal to the distance between the inner ends of the recesses in the raised portion H. The arms of handle Ila may howiever be spread apart against this spring action s-asuflicient distance to t. enable itheiends of the 10 mounting s'tuds'to clear'the sides of raised portion I! during the mounting of the handle on the tool or its removal therefrom.

.,:Itz.will be appreciated that the mounting of the handle l La by t he insertion of the studs 22 imthe recesses'in-raised portion I I gives a hi e =connection. ,eHinging of the handle not only :z aiioidssthe problem of wall obstruction described abo e,v but, if a handle Ila of sufficient length is'used the operator isable to effectively employ the tool when in a standing position.

IAenV-isage that a: complete tool :kit associated 'vvith the floor laying tool according to =my invention will include a plurality ofthe'handles I l Ia: of -va-rying length so that the user-may-select 'theleng-th he finds most convenient in performing a partiou-la-r floorlaying task. Moreoverf-I :propose to also include in the kit =a plurality ef zbody portions Illa of diiferent depths and different groove= specifications corresponding to the 3oxseveral standardized :flooring thicknesses and tongue specifications commonly encountered.

The embodiment shown in Figures 2 and '3 is used inrmuch thesameifashion as the-embodirment shown in Figure 1,:and-since the use'of the ila-tter has already been-"described, -a-full descripition ofthe use ofthe former appears to be-unnecessary. 'Ihe only differences in 'usage'are athat. the-second embodiment" may be foot-held in any desired position 'due to the-provision-of=the 40 foot plate I6,-the board is forced intoposition and the nails 'driven'home byh-ammering upon the surface I8 rather than directly uponthe outer or :non-grooved side of the bod-y portion,

"and, 1: as already "pointed out, the '-hinging of the hand-1e il Ia makes :the secon'd embodiment-more convenient.

iwhat I: claim as my invention is 1. A floor-laying-tool comprisinga bo'd-y porltionan'd a handle portion,- said' body portion being of generally square vertical cross-sectionand of an:elongated rectangular horizontal cross-sec- .tion,=said body portion having a horizontal'groove formed in and extending :along the complete :length of one longitudinalside thereof, said body portion :being rof -a height-substantially corregspond-ingtothat of-:thefiooring board'it is de- ::signed 1to.jdrive,=saidigroove being complementary in {shape :to the tonguenof said flooring board and disposed the samedistance from'thebase of said 0 :body; portion as said tongue:v is disposed from the base of saidfiooring :board,ssaidtbody-portion being; detachablyiconnected;to-::,a foot plate, and said handle being :detachablyihitlsfifly connectiedtdsaidfootplate.

2. .A floor laying tool 1 comprising a irbody "portion; and a handle; ;portion,- said body: portionrbe- .ing-ofgenerally Square vertical cross-section and of an elongated rectangular horizontal cross-secition said bodyportion having a horizontal groove formed in and extending along the-complete length .of one longitudinal side thereof, ,said :body portion :being .;of a height substantially corresponding to rthat .of :the' flooring board I it'- is designed to drive, said groove being complementary in shape tot'hetongue of said flooring board and disposed the same distance from the base of said body portion as said tongue is disposed from the base of said flooring board, said body portion being detachably connected to a foot plate, said handle being detachably hingedly connected to said foot plate, said foot plate including a raised portion having axially aligned cylindrical recesses in its sides, said recesses being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body portion, said handle being a metallic rod centrally bent to the form of an elongated U, the ends of said rod being bent first outwardly and then inwardly to form two axially aligned mounting studs, said handle being hingedly connected ALLAN C. LESLIE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 606,970 Hussey July 5, 1898 847,272 Ayers Mar. 12, 190.7

1,000,859 Vaughan Aug. 15, 1911 1,383,820 Klem July 5, 1921 1,431,463 Keyzer Oct. 10, 1922 

